| 5/5/2008 | Does your company use reverse auctions? |
| 4/20/2008 | Will the threat of a recession impact how much printing you buy in 2008? |
| 4/13/2008 | Do your print suppliers have to be on an approved supplier list in order to work with your organization? |
| 4/7/2008 | How often do you purchase wide-format printing? |
| 3/31/2008 | How often do you request FSC or SFI certified papers for your print projects? |
| 3/23/2008 | When bidding a print job to several suppliers, how often do you ask your printers to lower their quoted prices? |
| 3/16/2008 | How long do you typically spend on a press check? |
| 3/9/2008 | In addition to purchasing printing, do you buy ad specialty/promotional items? |
| 3/2/2008 | How important is the brand of printing press/equipment in the production of your jobs? |
| 2/25/2008 | How relevant are printers’ “Terms and Conditions for Sale” document? |
| 2/19/2008 | How are you compensated? |
| 2/3/2008 | Does your company have in-house printing capabilities (an in-plant facility or print shop)? |
| 1/27/2008 | To save money on your print projects, how likely would you be to purchase printing from overseas suppliers? |
| 1/20/2008 | How often does your company undermine your selection of the best supplier(s) for your print job(s)? |
| 1/13/2008 | How important is it for print buyers to have solid knowledge of different types of printing equipment? |
| 1/6/2008 | What percentage of your annual print budget is spent on changes made to the job once the job is sent to the printer? |
| 12/30/2007 | How important is a printer's collateral material in identifying them as a prospective supplier? |
| 12/16/2007 | How much net profit do you believe the average printing company makes? |
| 12/9/2007 | Since the holidays are upon us, what gifts – if any – would you prefer to receive from your print suppliers? |
| 12/2/2007 | Are you responsible for purchasing design services from agencies/design firms outside your company? |
| 11/25/2007 | How much do you expect prices to increase on your print projects in 2008 compared to 2007? (due to paper, energy, transportation, and other costs) |
| 11/18/2007 | Do you use a MAC or PC computer at work? |
| 11/11/2007 | How often, if ever, do you buy the paper for your print jobs directly from a paper merchant or manufacturer? |
| 11/4/2007 | In general, who do you trust more -- a sales rep that is paid on commission or is paid a salary? |
| 10/28/2007 | Approximately, how many print projects do you purchase per year? |
| 10/21/2007 | In the next twelve months, do you expect that you will require your print suppliers to meet faster turnaround times for your print projects? |
| 10/14/2007 | Please rate how effective you believe that print suppliers are at communicating meaningful differentiation from their competition. |
| 10/7/2007 | How relevant are industry print standards such as SWOP, GRACoL, SNAP and Bridges to you as a print buyer? |
| 9/30/2007 | Would you order paper swatchbooks and samples from paper manufacturers and merchants that charge for this (i.e. handling and shipping costs)? |
| 9/24/2007 | Do you manage or purchase other media communications besides printing? (i.e., Internet communications, telemarketing, TV, radio, etc.) |
| 9/16/2007 | How interested are you in the new Pantone Goe color specification system? |
| 9/9/2007 | Is it okay for a printer to markup the price of a print job to the end customer with a "kick-back" or hidden commission that will be paid to the designer/agency who created the work? |
| 9/2/2007 | When sending a job to your print supplier, what is the typical file format you send? |
| 8/26/2007 | What department in your organization do you work in? |
| 8/19/2007 | When considering a prospective print supplier, how much do you rely on a printer’s equipment list? |
| 8/12/2007 | Before your current role as a print buyer, had you ever worked for a printing company or print supplier? |
| 8/5/2007 | What percentage of your print suppliers are located close to you? (Less than 40 miles from your company) |
| 7/29/2007 | In the past year, have sustainability and environmental issues become more important in your company? |
| 7/22/2007 | In general, how quickly do you expect to receive price estimates from your suppliers? |
| 7/15/2007 | Would you go to lunch with a sales rep from a printing company that you have not yet given work to? |
| 7/8/2007 | Is Adobe’s “send to FedEx Kinko’s” order button in Acrobat inappropriate? |
| 7/1/2007 | Does the emergence of more print management companies threaten the jobs of print buyers? |
| 6/24/2007 | Who is responsible for conducting press checks in your company? |
| 6/17/2007 | Do you pay for overs on your print jobs? |
| 6/10/2007 | Is it okay for printing sales representatives to “drop by” to visit you without an appointment? |
| 6/3/2007 | In the past six months, how often, if ever, have you purchased printing online? (from either a dedicated online printing company or a bricks & mortar printing company that also offers online purchasing) |
| 5/27/2007 | How important is it that the papers that you use for your print projects have a FSC certification? (FSC, a certification by the Forest Stewardship Council, verifies the paper has been produced with responsible management of the world’s forests.) |
| 5/20/2007 | In the past few months, have you been experiencing more problems with the availability of specific paper stocks? |
| 5/13/2007 | How much do you believe the recently imposed tariffs on paper (i.e. U.S. tariffs on paper imported from China, Indonesia, South Korea or the European Union’s tariffs on U.S. exports) will affect the costs of your print projects? |
| 5/6/2007 | What percentage of your print projects do you use soft proofing as the final proof? |
| 4/29/2007 | How interested would your company be in paying your print suppliers by credit card if given the opportunity? |
| 4/22/2007 | How often do you purchase wide-format printing? |
| 4/15/2007 | Do you require that your printers carry Errors and Omissions insurance? |
| 4/8/2007 | Do you work with any specification representatives from a paper distributor and/or paper manufacturer? |
| 4/1/2007 | Does your company participate in programs where a printer(s) offers rebates in exchange for the commitment to buy a large amount of work over the year? |
| 3/25/2007 | Do your print suppliers have to be on an approved supplier list in order to work with your organization? |
| 3/18/2007 | How often do your print suppliers offer lower priced paper alternatives in order to win the job? |
| 3/11/2007 | In general, how open are you to suggestions from a print supplier that may help you improve the results of a project, but may increase the cost of the job? |
| 3/4/2007 | What percentage of your print projects requires critical color? (i.e. exact color match/reproduction) |
| 2/25/2007 | How important is it for you in your job to have good speaking/presentation skills? |
| 2/4/2007 | When you bid out print projects, on average, how much do your suppliers' quotes vary in price? |
| 1/28/2007 | Do you share competitors' prices with your print suppliers before the job is awarded? |
| 1/21/2007 | How often, if ever, do you expect to see color bars on contract quality proofs? |
| 1/14/2007 | How long do you spend on an average press check? (Not including travel time) |
| 1/7/2007 | How messy is your desk? |
| 1/1/2007 | How often, if ever, do you use a print broker(s)? |
| 12/17/2006 | Do you ask your printers to itemize their estimates? |
| 12/10/2006 | How much control do you have over selecting the print suppliers that print your projects? |
| 12/3/2006 | Do the skills of your graphic designer and the print readiness of your files play into the pricing that you receive from your printers? |
| 11/26/2006 | Is your company considering purchasing a high-end contract proofing system for internal use in the next 12 months? |
| 11/19/2006 | Since the holidays are upon us, what gifts – if any – would you prefer to receive from your print suppliers? |
| 11/13/2006 | When you consider using a prospective print supplier, how important is a print supplier’s website in influencing your perceptions of the supplier? |
| 11/4/2006 | Does your company have in-house printing capabilities (an in-plant facility or print shop)? |
| 10/29/2006 | How are you compensated? |
| 10/22/2006 | Are you currently using any Web-to-print solutions? |
| 10/15/2006 | Would you share a print supplier’s unique solution with your other printers? |
| 10/8/2006 | Would you pay more to receive extensive consulting services from your print suppliers? |
| 10/1/2006 | What's a realistic goal for saving money on printing for your company over the next year? |
| 9/24/2006 | What percentage of your annual print budget is spent on changes made to the job once the job is sent to the printer? |
| 9/17/2006 | What percentage has your salary increased over the past 12 months, if any? |
| 9/10/2006 | Is it important that your print suppliers are located close to you? |
| 9/3/2006 | How quickly does your company pay its print suppliers? |
| 8/27/2006 | In addition to purchasing printing, do you buy ad specialty and promotional items, i.e. logo'ed products? |
| 8/20/2006 | How relevant are printers’ “Terms and Conditions for Sale” document? |
| 8/13/2006 | Do you manage or purchase other media communications besides printing? (i.e., Internet communications, telemarketing, TV, radio, etc.) |
| 8/6/2006 | Do you use a MAC or PC computer at work? |
| 7/30/2006 | Have your print suppliers increased their prices due to rising energy costs? |
| 7/23/2006 | Who is responsible for conducting press checks in your company? |
| 7/16/2006 | Should a printer be penalized financially for delivering a job late if it is clearly their fault? |
| 7/9/2006 | Do you buy less printing during the summer months? |
| 7/2/2006 | How important is the brand of printing press/equipment in the production of your jobs? |
| 6/26/2006 | When sending a job to your print supplier, what is the typical file format you send? |
| 6/18/2006 | How many of your print projects require that you get competitive bids? |
| 6/11/2006 | How much do paper manufacturers’ print promotions and direct mail influence your paper purchasing/specifying decisions? |
| 6/4/2006 | In addition to your regular compensation, do you receive a quarterly or annual bonus based on your job performance (or your department’s performance)? |
| 5/28/2006 | How often does your company undermine your selection of the best supplier(s) for your print job(s) and ask you to choose another supplier – due to “politics” or reciprocity arranged between upper management and the supplier? |
| 5/21/2006 | What percentage of your (and your company’s) print jobs are set up with a longer-term contract vs. bidding the job out (or selecting the printer) as you go? |
| 5/14/2006 | On average, how many prospective printers call you each week attempting to get your business? |
| 5/7/2006 | In the past six months, how often, if ever, have you purchased printing from an online printing company? |
| 4/30/2006 | Does your company or you use a Digital Asset Management system? |
| 4/23/2006 | How often does the environmental certification status (SFI, FSC, etc.) of a specific paper affect your purchasing / specifying decisions? |
| 4/16/2006 | Do you receive the job status for your projects online (in real-time) from your print suppliers? |
| 4/9/2006 | How often do you receive soft proofs from your printer(s)? |
| 3/26/2006 | When bidding a print job to several suppliers, how often do you ask your printers to lower their quoted prices? |
| 3/19/2006 | How relevant are industry print standards such as SWOP, GRACoL, SNAP and Bridges to you as a print buyer? |
| 3/12/2006 | In terms of response rate, in general what percentage response do you expect from a personalized print campaign versus one that's not personalized? |
| 3/5/2006 | How important is a printer's collateral material in identifying them as a prospective supplier? |
| 2/26/2006 | What department in your organization do you work in? |
| 2/19/2006 | How much of your job is spent as a 'print buyer' compared to other tasks or job duties? |
| 2/12/2006 | Has your company investigated outsourcing its print buying to a print management company? |
| 2/5/2006 | Do you share competitors' prices with your print suppliers to let them know where they stand compared to the competition? |
| 1/29/2006 | How much of the decision to work with a print supplier is based on the sales rep that handles your account? |
| 1/22/2006 | Is it okay for a sales rep/printer to attempt to work with or sell to upper management? |
| 1/15/2006 | Print buyers: In your experience, what is the average turnaround for printing an 8.5 x 11, 96 pp, 4/4 perfect bound book (quantity 120,000)? |
| 1/8/2006 | On average, how many times do your print specifications change from the time you initially bid the job to the time you turn the job over to your printer? |
| 1/1/2006 | In the next twelve months, do you expect that you will require your print suppliers to meet faster turnaround times for your print projects? |
| 12/18/2005 | Are you or your company trying to mail as many print projects as you can now to "beat" the January USPS postage increase? |
| 12/11/2005 | Given that the holidays are upon us, what gifts – if any – can you accept from your print suppliers? |
| 12/4/2005 | Would you go to lunch with a sales rep from a printing company that you have not yet given work to? |
| 11/27/2005 | How do you usually send the files for your print jobs to your printers/suppliers? |
| 11/20/2005 | Do you see a benefit in becoming certified as a professional print buyer/print communications professional? |
| 11/13/2005 | How important is it to use print suppliers that provide "one-stop shopping" (e.g. provide multiple print-related services such as printing and mailing)? |
| 11/7/2005 | Do you have written language that you send to your printers detailing your quality expectations? |
| 10/30/2005 | What is the main benefit, if any, of asking printers for grid pricing or rate cards? |
| 10/23/2005 | Do you ask your printer(s) for grid pricing or a rate card for any of your print projects? |
| 10/16/2005 | Has your use of digital color printing (i.e. Canon, HP Indigo, Kodak Nexpress, Xerox) for your color print jobs...? |
| 10/9/2005 | How, if at all, have the hurricanes Katrina and Rita affected your print campaigns? (i.e. have you delayed print campaigns or not mailed to areas affected by the hurricanes, etc.) |
| 10/2/2005 | Does your company use reverse auctions to gather pricing from your print suppliers and award jobs? |
| 9/25/2005 | If you like a printing company, but dislike the sales rep that is assigned to you, how likely would you be to ask the company for a different rep? |
| 9/18/2005 | How often, if ever, does your company or you make changes to the job during press checks? |
| 9/11/2005 | Whose primary role and responsibility is it to conduct the press checks for your company's print communications? |
| 9/4/2005 | What type of "e-procurement system" does your company use for print buying? |
| 8/28/2005 | How important is it to have print suppliers that can communicate or translate in Spanish? |
| 8/21/2005 | Do you think the paper industry should move the standard brightness level for U.S. paper products from a 84 brightness to a 92 brightness? |
| 8/14/2005 | Is your company considering purchasing a high-end contract proofing system for internal use in the next 12 months? |
| 8/7/2005 | Have you ever been responsible for training someone on how to buy printing? |
| 7/31/2005 | How much net profit do you believe the average printing company makes? |
| 7/24/2005 | How often do you conduct review meetings with your core print suppliers to discuss process improvements, the business relationship and strategize on big-picture issues? |
| 7/17/2005 | Compared to the past few years, have your print quantities (for individual print jobs) increased, decreased or stayed the same? |
| 7/10/2005 | How important is it to buy "green" - buy printing with environmentally friendly papers and processes? |
| 7/3/2005 | How important is it to tour a prospective printer supplier’s facilities before using them? |
| 6/26/2005 | Before your current role as a print buyer, had you ever worked for a printing company or print supplier? |
| 6/20/2005 | How "print-ready" are the files that you send to your printer for printing your projects? |
| 6/12/2005 | How interested are you in working with print suppliers that offer other media services (such as the ability to do Internet or e-mail campaigns) in addition to providing print services? |
| 6/5/2005 | How do you prefer to send your printers bid specifications (for bidding on your print projects)? |
| 5/29/2005 | How much control do you have over selecting the print suppliers that print your projects? |
| 5/15/2005 | Should a printer be penalized financially for delivering a job late if it is clearly their fault? |
| 5/8/2005 | In the past 12 months, has your company significantly reduced its print promotions by using Internet and e-mail promotions instead? |
| 5/1/2005 | How easy is it to get paper samples/swatch books from paper merchants and/or paper manufacturers? |
| 4/24/2005 | Do you check references and/or check the financial standing (i.e. Dun & Bradstreet) of a prospective print supplier before you use them? |
| 4/17/2005 | Is it okay for a printer to markup the price of a print job to the end customer with a "kick-back" or hidden commission that will be paid to the designer/agency who created the work? |
| 4/9/2005 | How often do you purchase wide-format printing? |
| 4/3/2005 | Are you involved purchasing photography for your company? |
| 3/27/2005 | Would you pay to receive more extensive consulting services from your print suppliers? |
| 3/19/2005 | How many times can a print supplier make significant mistakes before you lose faith in them? |
| 3/13/2005 | If you decide to stop using a print supplier, how do you end the working relationship? |
| 3/7/2005 | How interested are you in purchasing printing from a supplier outside your country? |
| 2/27/2005 | How relevant are industry print standards such as SWOP, GRACoL, SNAP and Bridges to you as a print buyer? |
| 2/20/2005 | How interested would your company be in paying your print suppliers by credit card if given the opportunity? |
| 2/13/2005 | What percentage of your annual print budget is spent on changes (copy changes, etc.) made to the job once the job is sent to the printer? |
| 2/7/2005 | How interested would you be in joining a professional association for print buyers? |
| 1/30/2005 | How quickly do you receive invoices from your print suppliers? |
| 1/23/2005 | How many times do your print specifications change from the time you initially bid the job to the time you turn the job over to your printer? |
| 1/16/2005 | How often, if ever, do you tell a printer that they lost the job due to price as an easy answer, as opposed to the real reason why they weren’t awarded the job? |
| 1/9/2005 | In the next twelve months, do you expect that you will require your print suppliers to meet faster turnaround times for your print projects? |
| 1/2/2005 | How often, if ever, would you use an online bidding or print auction service? |
| 12/19/2004 | How helpful would it be to receive the job status for your projects online from your print suppliers? |
| 12/12/2004 | Would you share a print supplier’s unique solution with your other printers? |
| 12/5/2004 | Do you know more about printing than the average printing sales rep? |
| 11/28/2004 | Is it okay for printing sales representatives to “drop by” to visit you without an appointment? |
| 11/21/2004 | Is it important that your print suppliers are located close to you? |
| 11/14/2004 | How important is it for you to bring new ideas to your company or clients? |
| 11/7/2004 | Please rate how effective you believe that print suppliers are at communicating meaningful differentiation from their competition. |
| 10/31/2004 | Is it okay for a sales rep/printer to attempt to work with or sell to upper management? |
| 10/13/2004 | Once a project is in production with a supplier, do you prefer to work with the sales rep or the customer service rep? |
| 10/3/2004 | Do you expect to be doing more or less press checks over the next year? |
| 9/26/2004 | How important is it for a print buyer to be knowledgeable about paper to buy effectively? |
| 9/19/2004 | How much do you enjoy print buying/print production? |
| 9/14/2004 | Do you expect the quality of your print projects to increase, decrease or stay the same? |
| 9/5/2004 | How often do you receive soft proofs from your printer(s)? |
| 8/29/2004 | Does your company have in-house printing capabilities (an in-plant facility or print shop)? |
| 8/22/2004 | How important is it to tour a prospective printer supplier’s facilities before using them? |
| 8/15/2004 | On average, how much do your suppliers' quotes vary in price? |
| 8/8/2004 | How open are you to considering new suppliers? |
| 8/1/2004 | How important is it to go with the lowest quoted price? |
| 7/26/2004 | Have your job 'redo's increased, decreased or stayed same? |
| 7/18/2004 | Do you rate your print suppliers' performance? |
| 7/11/2004 | Has your use of digital color laser printing for your color print jobs….? |
| 7/4/2004 | How much of the decision to work with a print supplier is based on the sales rep that handles your account? |
| 6/27/2004 | How much of your job is buying and managing print? |
| 6/20/2004 | Do you pay for overs? |
| 6/13/2004 | Which of these buying practices do you believe would be the most effective for your company? |
| 6/6/2004 | How many prospective printers call you each week attempting to get your business? |
| 5/30/2004 | How many proofs do you review for your typical print project? |
| 5/23/2004 | How quickly do you expect to receive price estimates from your suppliers? |
| 5/16/2004 | Assuming the skill sets are equal, would you rather work with a female or male print sales representative? (If you have a preference, please describe why.) |
| 5/9/2004 | Have you ever been offered what you felt was a bribe by a print supplier? |
| 5/3/2004 | Would you rather receive the PBO e-letter as a daily (shorter) or a weekly (longer)? |
| 4/25/2004 | How would you rate the availability of job opportunities for print buyers? |
| 4/11/2004 | How do your print suppliers rate in providing you with education, information and industry updates? |
| 4/4/2004 | Did you receive a pay increase in the past year? |
| 3/28/2004 | How often do you involve your print suppliers in the planning or design of your complex/unique projects? |
| 3/21/2004 | In the past year, to what degree has your company consolidated the number of print suppliers you work with? |
| 3/14/2004 | How often, if ever, do you buy the paper for your print jobs directly from a paper merchant or manufacturer? |
| 3/7/2004 | Do you require your printers to break out prices separately on their estimates? |
| 3/1/2004 | Have you ever specified synthetic papers for your print projects? |
| 2/22/2004 | How often does your company outsource print buying to advertising agencies or design firms (if applicable to your company)? |
| 2/15/2004 | How important is it to use print suppliers that provide “one-stop shopping?” |
| 2/8/2004 | How many individuals purchase printing in your company (yourself included)? |
| 2/1/2004 | Do you review final invoices from your print suppliers? |
| 1/25/2004 | Do your print suppliers charge for minor changes made after you’ve handed off the job? |
| 1/18/2004 | How many of your print projects require that you get competitive bids? |
| 1/11/2004 | Print buyers: How do you prefer to submit bids to your suppliers? |
| 1/4/2004 | In the next six months do you expect that your company's print purchases will increase, decrease or stay the same? |
| 12/21/2003 | How much profit does the average printing company make? |
| 12/14/2003 | Does your company work from a strict annual budget for print or do you budget your print jobs on a project-by-project basis? |
| 12/7/2003 | Do you read the Terms and Conditions of Sale for each of your print suppliers? |
| 12/1/2003 | How often do you recognize your print suppliers with gifts, awards, etc.? |
| 11/23/2003 | What gifts, if any, can you accept from your print suppliers? |
| 11/16/2003 | Who do you trust more -- a sales rep that is paid on commission or is paid a salary? |
| 11/9/2003 | Are you involved in the decision-making about which type of media is used for your company’s marketing communications? |
| 11/2/2003 | Do you manage or purchase other media communications besides printing? |
| 10/26/2003 | How likely would you be to purchase printing from suppliers overseas or outside your country? |
| 10/19/2003 | What is the best way for prospective printer suppliers to first contact you? |
| 10/13/2003 | Has the use of the Internet or other online tools reduced the amount of printing that your company produces? |
| 10/5/2003 | How many people review the printers' proofs for your projects? |
| 9/28/2003 | How well does your company provide resources/support for your ongoing education? |
| 9/21/2003 | Do you share competitor's prices with your print suppliers? |
| 9/14/2003 | How often, if ever, do you use a print broker(s)? |
| 9/6/2003 | Please rate your knowledge of the various types/brands of digital proofs that your print supplier(s) provides you? |
| 8/30/2003 | If you decide to stop using a print supplier, how do you end the working relationship? |
| 8/22/2003 | How many times have your print supplier(s) switched your specified paper stock for a print job to another stock without your permission? |
| 8/16/2003 | Would you order paper swatchbooks and samples from paper manufacturers and merchants that charge for this (i.e. handling and shipping costs)? |
| 8/9/2003 | Do you receive a bonus based on your job performance? |
| 8/2/2003 | How quickly does your company pay its print suppliers? |
| 7/26/2003 | How satisfied are you with the speed, accuracy and completeness of your suppliers’ invoices? |
| 7/19/2003 | Do you know more about printing than the average printing sales rep? |
| 7/13/2003 | What percentage has your salary increased over the past 12 months, if any? |
| 6/29/2003 | Have you been negatively affected by your printers’ solvency in the past year? |
| 6/22/2003 | How often does your company undermine your selection of the best supplier(s) for your print jobs? |
| 6/15/2003 | How often do you ask your printers to lower their quoted prices? |
| 6/8/2003 | Would you share a print supplier’s unique solution with your other printers? |
| 6/1/2003 | Is it important that your print suppliers are located close to you? |
| 5/25/2003 | Would you go to lunch with a sales rep from a printing company that you have not yet given work to? |
| 5/18/2003 | What's a realistic goal for saving money on printing for your company over the next year? |
| 5/11/2003 | What percentage of your print jobs is set up with a longer-term contract vs. bid ? |
| 5/3/2003 | Is it okay for printing sales representatives to “drop by” to visit you without an appointment? |
| 4/26/2003 | How many prospective printers call you each week attempting to get your business? |
| 4/12/2003 | Will the threat of a recession impact how much printing you buy in 2008? |
